Letters From The Kids
by melodylaner
Summary: When Harry and Ginny's children go to Hogwarts they send the most interesting letters home!
1. The Troublemaker

The Troublemaker

Harry Potter was barely awake as he dragged his feet towards the door of his bedroom. He was not surprised that he had slept in, as yesterday's Auror mission had left him exhausted. He didn't bother getting dressed and walked to the stairs in his pajama bottoms and white t-shirt, relieved by the thought that today was Saturday and he could spend the day with his family.

It was awfully warm considering that it was early November. He noted how quiet the house seemed without James causing trouble and picking on his brother and sister. He reached the bottom of the stairs and found his wife in the kitchen. She was rummaging through the cupboards and preparing something on the counter with her back facing him. Seeing her in her nightgown, he couldn't help but notice how she could still be as slender as a 15-year-old after having three children.

He walked up to her from behind and kissed her neck lightly. "Morning, love."

She turned and kissed him softly. "Good morning, sleepyhead. Tough day at work yesterday? I didn't even hear you come to bed."

"It was well past midnight and I didn't want to wake you," he replied, kissing her nose.

"Everything okay, then?" she asked, as she put cups, some pancakes and a jar of marmalade on the table.

"Yeah, everything was sorted out. Are the kids up?" he asked as he sat down.

Ginny sat on his lap and took a pancake from the table. "They woke up early. They're playing in the garden. Now open up."

As he chewed his pancake, the front door opened loudly and children's voices were heard. Ginny smirked at him and whispered in his ear, "Speak of the devil."

A redheaded, brown-eyed little girl burst in the kitchen shouting, shortly followed by her black-haired brother, who was holding something fluffy and looked suspiciously like an owl, that was trying to escape .

"Is that an owl you're holding?" Ginny asked wide-eyed.

"No! It's an EVIL owl! She landed in the garden and when I went to take the letter she bit me!" Lily said, pointing at her hand where a beak mark was still evident.

"Yeah, Mum! She won't let us bloody take it!" Al complained while shaking the owl that was still struggling in his hands.

"Language, Albus! Now, give it here," said Ginny as she reached for the owl.

However, when she went to take the letter, the owl bit her. She stepped back, surprised, and let the bird fly around the kitchen before landing on the table next to Harry. She blinked at him and stretched her leg towards him.

"You're kidding me," Ginny said. She looked incredulously at Harry, who took the letter from the owl and stroked its head without suffering any injuries.

Harry opened the letter after smiling nervously at his livid wife and his children, who were staring at him open-mouthed.

_Hi Dad,_

_I know you're surprised since it's usually you and Mum writing, and me not writing back, but I'm sure you don't worry about me. Professor McGonagall writes to you every other day about me getting detention so you know I'm fine._

_Please don't tell Mum about this! I asked the owl to give the letter only to you, and not let anyone else open it, but I don't know if she understood a thing._

_I didn't appreciate the Howler Mum sent last week! Honestly, letting the whole Great Hall know that she will ground my broom the next time I get detention! Next thing I know, Jerry Wood (my Quidditch Captain), was yelling at me too! I am the second first-year to ever make the Gryffindor team (you got there first). The team needs me! Does Mum want us to lose to the Snakes? The match is on Saturday, and I need my broom! Please remind Mum of that! Before midday, preferably. I gather by then McGonagall will have owled you about… well, why hide it? You'll find out anyway. I got another detention._

_Please don't be mad at me! It was a good prank! You would've liked it Dad! We (as in Fred and I) threw Mrs. Norris in the lake! She deserved it. That filthy cat is the main reason we got caught when we broke into Filch's office. Did I mention that Uncle George is proud of Fred causing mayhem? Please try to persuade Mum about my broom! I know you can sweet-talk her (Yuck! I can't believe I used that word!) into it! I have faith in you! Go, Dad!_

_Fred says "Hi" and begs you not to punish me! How can you say no to him?_

_Tell Al and Lil' I said "Hi!"_

_James_

_P.S. Can I stay at Hogwarts during the Christmas holidays? It's not that I don't miss you guys, but I love it here! Hogwarts with no classes! Just think of the possibilities! ;)_

"He has nerve!" exclaimed Harry. "Asking that when I know he nicked the Marauder's Map! And YOU..." He turned to the owl. "You take your job WAY too seriously!"

"Is it from James?" asked Lily curiously.

"Yeah," said Harry tentatively as he folded the letter.

"James wrote? That's a first!" said Ginny slightly taken aback. She glanced at Harry suspiciously. "What does he say?"

"Erm… He asks to stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays," Harry answered slowly. At least that was half the truth.

"Just that? In that case, the answer is 'No.' If James wanders around Hogwarts free of classes, the castle will explode within a week," said Ginny who still seemed to disbelieve that this was the only purpose of the letter.

"Okay, we'll talk about that-"

"Dad, why didn't he want us to open it?"

"I don't know, Al. Ginny, I want to talk t-"

"Dad, look!" yelled Lily pointing at the window. "Another owl is coming!"

"Ginny, I have to talk to y-"

"Harry, wait! Let's see who the owl's fr-"

"Ginny, our bedroom NOW!"


	2. Like Father Like Son

Like Father, Like Son

"MUM! DAD! Come quick!"

Harry was woken up by his daughter's sweet voice yelling from downstairs. He felt Ginny sigh. Her head was resting on his shoulder; her breath was hot against his neck. He tightened his arms around her and wished that they could ignore Lily and go back to sleep.

Last night was wonderful but tiring all the same. To say that he was delighted when Ginny had told him that she had big plans for him that night was an understatement, but his good mood changed visibly when he saw that his little angel showed no signs of intending to go to bed anytime soon. Lily ended up falling asleep some time after midnight, postponing Ginny's plans for a good two hours. As if last night's torture wasn't enough, now she was also waking them up at… What time was it exactly?

Harry reached blindly for his glasses on the nightstand. He put them on and turned to look at the clock.

"Six thirty? Our daughter is unbelievable!"

"MUM! DAD! Come on! WAKE UP ALREADY!

Ginny tried to sit up, and Harry pulled her back against his chest. "Don't go," he murmured, stroking her hair. "If we don't answer, maybe she'll give up."

"You don't really believe that, do you? The last time we pretended not to hear her she burst in on us! Then I had to explain to her how babies are made, and she wouldn't leave us alone for a month! Do you think she'll find it any less disgusting now?" she said, though she didn't make any move to get up again.

"Yeah, I remember that. Thanks for sharing the memory. I've been trying to forget about it ever sinc-"

"IF YOU DON'T COME I'M READING AL'S LETTER ALONE AND BURNING IT AFTERWARDS!!"

At this point both Harry and Ginny jumped off the bed as if it was on fire. Ginny began running to the door.

"Ginny! Clothes!" Harry hissed at her as she was stepping out of the bedroom.

She cursed under her breath and ran to the wardrobe, taking out a short nightie and putting it on quickly. All the while, she glared at Harry who was waiting for her by the door sniggering. She pushed him out of the room, while stating matter-of-factly, "That was some great reflexes, you know!"

"That was some great view, you know," he answered, laughing loudly.

He ducked his head as she hit him half-angrily, half-playfully. "Prat!"

They went down the stairs and found Lily sitting by the kitchen table reading a long piece of parchment. She looked up at them.

"There you are! You took your time..." she commented slyly, sounding to all the world as if she were the parent and Harry and Ginny were the mischievous children that did something naughty.

Harry looked smugly at Ginny as if to say "She's all you."

Ginny avoided his gaze and turned to Lily. "Is that Al's letter?"

"Yeah, but I'M reading it! You sit down!" she said.

Harry thought it was no time to object, especially since she was the one holding the letter, and took a seat with Ginny on his lap. He looked at his daughter. who cleared her throat and started to read loudly.

_Hi Mum, Dad, Lily!_

_Sorry it took me so long to write but my first week here was fascinating, and I got sidetracked. I was sorted into Gryffindor! Isn't that great? Rose is in Gryffindor too, though she told me that the Hat considered putting her in Ravenclaw. Everyone here keeps staring at me. It's really annoying! I don't know why James enjoys all this attention. I think it's creepy._

_The first days of classes were interesting. Professor McGonagall is very strict, but she's okay, I guess. James doesn't think so because half his detentions are from her, and he and Fred spend half their time making up nicknames for her. I think the latest is "Picky Kitty."_

_Professor Flitwick is tiny, but he's very kind. strikeNeville's/strike Professor Longbottom's lessons are very funny though. I'm pretty sure that he doesn't do it on purpose. He's tripped over the water can five times in the three lessons that we had this week, one of them ended up with him landing face first into a dunghill! James told me that he started putting water cans in Professor Longbottom's way since his first week here. That's just mean because he's a good teacher. The thing is, no matter how many times he's made a fool of himself everybody still thinks he's cool because he lives above the Leaky Cauldron. I think James' effort is going down the drain here!_

_Professor Slughorn is a little pompous. He tells me in every lesson that I have Grandmum Lily's eyes and he's invited me to a party next week. I'm still trying to make up an excuse not to go._

_I visited Hagrid on Friday for tea. I had fun with him, but I was careful not to eat too many of his homemade cakes or else I'd need to make an appointment with Aunt Hermione's parents! The best part was when he showed me the creatures that he'll use for his lessons! Hagrid is nice but I feel really sorry for his students, and I'm not looking forward to my third year! He also explained to me about thestrals, and I think I like them more now. He said you and Mum have ridden one, and so has Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione, Neville and Luna! You flew to London on thestrals! Something you want to tell me???_

_I almost forgot - I almost got detention on Tuesday! I was late for Transfiguration because I got lost, and Professor McGonagall said that I'm Dad all over again. But she didn't give me detention! She said she will the next time, though. Needless to say James was furious! He says that it's unfair, and Picky Kitty is partial towards me and it's all a conspiracy to expel him from Hogwarts! Actually, it was funny seeing him harp on it to anyone who would listen._

_Yesterday he told me that I let him down because I didn't make the Quidditch team on my second day here like he did. I mean, come on! I told him my first flying lesson is tomorrow, and I'm not about to break into the Quidditch locker or bring my broom secretly to Hogwarts so that I can show off like he did too! That shut him up for now, but I'm sure that he'll bring this argument up tomorrow if by the end of the lesson I still haven't impressed Madame Hooch enough to put me on the team._

_That's all for now. I'll write to you again sometime next week._

_Love,_

_Al_

_P.S. I met Scorpius Malfoy and he's not THAT bad. However, I'm sure Uncle Ron will be happy to know that Rose had a hell of a fight with him about House-elves' rights!_/

By the time Lily had finished reading Ginny was shaking with laughter and Harry was looking at her questioningly.

"You know, Minerva's right," said Ginny between fits of laughter. "He really is you all over again!"

Harry couldn't object to that, and smiled at her. He then asked Lily to bring some parchment-lots of it-to fit the memories of his fifth year that led him and his friends to ride on six seemingly invisible horses.

**Fin**


	3. Daddy Cool

Daddy Cool

"Ginny, have you considered sending Kreacher back to Hogwarts to work? I mean, now that Lily and Albus are at Hogwarts and James has moved out, you don't really need him that much at home, right?"

Ginny looked at Hermione who was staring back at her innocently, waiting for an answer. She would bet anything that her sister-in-law had been wanting to ask her that question since the very moment that they had seen Lily, Albus, Rose and Hugo off at King's Cross a month ago. She was also aware that Hermione probably knew that at Hogwarts, Kreacher would have more work than he did when serving the Potters, but she still couldn't come to terms with the idea of her relatives owning a house-elf. Ginny took her time observing the kitchen of the Burrow and sipping tea from her cup before she decided that she had tortured her friend enough. She turned towards her with a triumphant smile on her face.

"Actually, I sent him to Hogwarts in August. I didn't need him anymore. With James gone, the mess was reduced enough for me to handle the housekeeping on my own."

Hermione beamed at her and turned to look at Mrs. Weasley, who was peeling potatoes at the other end of the table. "Molly, I probably won't make it on Sunday for lunch. I've got a meeting at the Ministry. Ron will come though."

"That's alright, dear, " said Mrs. Weasley. "Work comes first." She looked at her daughter who was still looking pleased with herself. "Do you know if James is coming?"

Ginny's smile disappeared. "Haven't seen him in a week, have I? Harry said he stopped by at the Ministry on Tuesday, but he obviously can't bother to visit his own mother. It hasn't even been two months since he left, and he's already forgotten about me!"

"How could I forget about you?"

All heads in the room turned to the doorway where James Sirius Potter stood in all his glory. Leaning against the door, with his arms crossed over his chest, James looked at his mother, his brown eyes twinkling with mischief, while she glared at him in response. As he walked into the kitchen wearing his trademark smirk, he ran a hand through his messy black hair and kissed Mrs. Weasley and Hermione on the cheek. "Hey, Grandma... Auntie."

However, when he tried to kiss Ginny she turned her head away stubbornly. He sighed and gave her an apologetic look. "Okay, I'm sorry. I was planning to come and see you yesterday after practice, but you know Oliver Wood! That man thinks that if we train twenty-four hours a day, we're bound to win the Cup! By the time I got home I was so exhausted I could barely walk!"

"Oliver had been Puddlemore United's keeper for years before he became coach. It seems logical to me that he'd take it upon himself to lead the team to the finals," Ginny replied coldly.

"I know, Mum. Forgive me?" James looked at her pleadingly until her features softened.

"Maybe... if you come to lunch on Sunday and score some goals for me in the next match. But you know I'll never truly forgive you until Ron does," Ginny said with a grin that turned to laughter when she met Hermione's eyes.

"What?" asked James. "Uncle Ron's still bitter about me choosing Puddlemore over the Cannons?"

"You know your uncle," said Hermione. "He's never going to admit that the Cannons are the worst team in the league! Even iI/i can tell that and that's saying something!"

"Don't worry," added Ginny. "He'll be so angry with ime/i after your match against the Cannons that he'll forget about your betrayal!"

"What do you mean?" asked James looking confused as he leaned against the counter.

"Well, I'll have to write the article for the Prophet, won't I?" replied Ginny. "What will I write after you've kicked their arses? That they lost with grace? That they saved some dignity?"

James laughed and bent to kiss his mother on the cheek again. She didn't protest this time. "Thanks, Mum. I have to go now. I'm meeting Fred at the Leaky Cauldron in ten minutes. I'll see you all on Sunday. Bye." He waved at Mrs. Weasley and Hermione and walked out to the garden where they heard him Disapparate.

"Ginny, isn't that Lily's owl?" asked Hermione pointing at the window were a black owl was tapping impatiently.

Ginny stood up. "Yes, that's Blackberry."

She still felt stupid calling the owl that, but her daughter was barely eleven when she had named her owl, and at the time she couldn't see past the bird's unusual color.

She opened the window and let the owl in and sat down after untying the letter from the bird's leg. Hermione and Mrs. Weasley were watching her closely as she read the letter, frowning all the while and biting her lip.

"What does she say?" Hermione asked tentatively when it was clear that Ginny wasn't about to speak anytime soon.

"Oh, nothing...." said Ginny as she looked up from the letter smiling.

"I really should be going," she added, standing up. "Will you give Blackberry a treat and let her go? Thanks."

She crossed the kitchen and walked out before they could reply though she was sure she heard Hermione say, "What was that about?" as she Apparated home.

Ginny appeared in the front yard of their house on the outskirts of Godric's Hollow. Harry wouldn't come home until noon, so she could reply to Lily without being disturbed. She was positive that if Harry knew that Lily had written he wouldn't rest until he read the letter. And if he did... well, let's just say that someone would be in big trouble. Lily was his little angel, no matter how mischievous or independent she was, and he was very protective of her.

Ginny hurried into the house and stopped abruptly in the kitchen, where she noted that there was a cup on the table that she didn't remember being there when she left that morning. Maybe it had been there but she hadn't noticed it, she decided as she walked slowly to the study.

She jumped back in surprise when she realized that someone had gotten there before her. She hid the letter behind her back before speaking. "Harry, what are you doing here?"

Harry looked up from between the piles of paper on the desk. "I went to work but there was only paperwork to be done, so I thought I'd bring it here. Not happy to see me?" He smiled, raising his eyebrows, and stood up.

"Where have you been?" he asked as he approached her.

Ginny took her time before answering, as she wondered how to hug him without revealing the letter. "Hermione had the day off today, so we went shopping. Then we visited Mum at the Burrow."

Finally, she decided that her hands were fine where they were and maybe she could get out of the room before Harry got too near, but it was too late. Harry was already hugging her, and she thought that it would look suspicious if she backed off. She couldn't push him away without risking showing him the letter, so she just stood there and prayed to God that Harry wouldn't notice her sudden stillness while she tried to distract him with words. "I also saw James. He said he'll make it on Sun-"

"Ginny, what're you hiding behind your back?" asked Harry, obviously not convinced by her act.

She tried to ignore him. "Apparently, Oliver's driving them up th-"

"Ginny, what are you hiding?" Harry cut her off. He stepped back and looked at her suspiciously.

"Nothing," Ginny said innocently. "Now, Hermione said-"

"Nothing, huh? Show me your hands." He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her expectantly.

Ginny brought her hands forward hesitantly and faked surprise when she saw the letter. "Oh, that! It's… from theProphet!"

"From the Prophet?" asked Harry disbelievingly.

"Yeah, it's about… yesterday's match."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Then why is it written in Lily's favorite pink ink?"

Ginny looked down at the paper in her hand and sighed. "Okay, it's from Lily."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "And you were hiding it from me because…?"

"... because it's not addressed to you. Lily doesn't want you to read it. Otherwise, she wouldn't have sent it to me when she thought you were at work, she wouldn't have written 'Hi, Mum' on top, and she wouldn't have clearly asked me not to show it to you!"

Harry stood there with his mouth wide open, taken aback by her speech but annoyed all the same. "Why? What does she say that she doesn't want me to know?"

"Now, don't take offense, Harry. This is a mother-daughter thing. Girls don't talk to their dad about things like this," she explained to him gently.

"Like what?" he asked.

Then his eyes widened in terror. "Oh, my god! Please don't tell me… " He brought his hand to his forehead, but he seemed unable to finish.

"What?" Ginny asked amused.

"Lily's got a boyfriend!" he exclaimed in shock.

"Harry, I didn't say that-"

"I can't believe this! Lily can't date! She's only fifteen! She's too young to date!"

"Oh, really? And how old was I exactly when we started dating?" she asked, grinning.

"It's not the same! We'd known each other for years before that!" Harry looked at her like she was crazy. "Lily can't have a boyfriend!"

"She doesn't have a boyfriend!" Ginny said in an attempt to calm him down. "Not yet, anyway," she added under her breath.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, looking murderous. "Ginny, give me the letter!"

She put on a thoughtful expression and pretended to be thinking about it, before she answered "No!" and broke into a run.

"Ginny!" yelled Harry as he chased her out of the study.

He caught up with her in the living room and pinned her to the couch. She protested and tried to push him off, but he was too strong for her.

"Get off me! Come on, Harry! Don't be a child!" she groaned.

"A child, huh?" he asked, grinning evilly and starting to tickle her mercilessly.

"Harry, stop!" she gasped between giggles.

"Okay," he said standing up. "But I want something in return." He gestured to the letter, which Ginny was still clutching to her chest.

"No way! Come off it! I'm not giving you the letter!" she said, standing up as well.

"At least tell me what it says!" he pleaded with her. "Who is her boyfriend?"

"Nobody!"

"Please! At least tell me it's not Scorpius Malfoy!" he added, looking as if he dreaded the possibility.

"Don't be ridiculous! Scorpius is Rose's boyfriend!"

Harry's mouth dropped open.

"And you're not allowed to tell Ron!" she added hurriedly as she realized what she had said.

"Okay, I'm not telling Ron but will you please-"

"No!"

"Fine!" Harry snapped at her. And before she knew it, he'd snatched the letter from her hands.

"Oh, that's really mature," she said angrily as she tried to get it back.

"You'll tear it!" she groaned. But she finally gave up, letting him take the letter. "Fine! Read it! Be my guest! But don't expect me to punish Lily if she hexes you when she finds out!"

Harry ignored her and sat down heavily on the couch. Ginny glared at him and sat down beside him as he started to read.

_Hi Mum,_

_I hope Dad isn't around when you read this. Don't worry I didn't do anything. I just don't want Dad to come storming to Hogwarts and camping in my dorm._

_You see, I have a problem-a big problem-and it has a name... Bryan Goldstein. He's a sixth-year and he won't leave me alone. He asks me out every time he sees me (which is A LOT since he is PESTERING me), and he obviously doesn't take "No" for an answer, which is bad for him really as "No" will ALWAYS be the answer!_

_I mean what's wrong with him? He's already dated half the school! He's in Ravenclaw, and he says his uncle Anthony knows you and Dad. He's on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team and he plays Chaser. Do you believe that he asked his captain to have try-outs to replace him because he didn't want to play against ME? What an idiot! As if he'd have a chance! I'd beat him hands down!_

_He's tall and muscular and he has brown hair and blue eyes. Every girl in this bloody school thinks he's so HOT! I mean, come on! Who cares what he looks like, when he's such a conceited, bigheaded moron? He calls me "Red" and apparently he knows everything about me! You see, he's befriended Louis, and my idiot of a cousin told him everything... from embarrassing childhood stories to my favorite names for my future children! Would you do me a favor and ask Uncle Bill to control his son??_

_Goldstein is so arrogant and so stupid that he can't (or won't) get the message! I mean, I've turned him down what... two hundred sixty-three times? (And I'm not counting. HE is!) I'm so glad that he's graduating one year before me so I can study for my NEWTs. I'm taking my OWLs this year, and I can't even go to the library without having him follow me! I've hexed him numerous times, but he doesn't give up!_

_I really need advice! I talked to Rose about him, but she only made me angrier! She said that she used to fight with Scorpius too before he became her boyfriend! Was that supposed to console me? Because it didn't work! That's NEVER going to happen! The day I fancy Bryan Goldstein will be the day I become a Death Eater, dye my hair green and kill myself!_

_Then there's Hugo, who keeps telling me that Goldstein isn't that bad and he's just trying to impress me! Aren't there any better ways to do that? I mean other than getting on my nerves and making me want to hex him into eternity!_

_Please help me, Mum!_

_Al says he's sorry he hasn't written to you, but he's been studying like crazy for his NEWTs and that, in addition to being Quidditch captain, has left him exhausted._

_Write back soon!_

_Your very annoyed daughter,_

_Lily_

_P.S. Did I mention that he charmed his Prefect badge to say "Lily is my Queen?" God, I HATE him!_

Harry just sat there looking at the letter in his hands. Suddenly, he stood up and tried to leave. "I'm going to Hogwarts!"

"No, you're not!" said Ginny as she caught his hand and pulled him back to couch.

"Do you think I'll risk Lily following in Rose's footsteps?"

"Come on, now! Goldstein is neither a Malfoy nor a Slytherin! If she's going to follow anyone's footsteps it'll be your mother's! After all, that's who we named her after!" said Ginny.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry. "Lily's not going to marry him! Lily hates him!"

"Oh, and didn't your mother hate your father's guts before they got together? People change."

"Goldstein won't change," Harry said stubbornly. "And more importantly, Lily's feelings towards him won't change!"

"If you're so sure, then why are you so annoyed? And why do you want to go to Hogwarts? I'll tell you why! Because you know I'm right, and you want to prevent it! I think you're in denial!"

"No, I'm not!!"

"If you say so…"

***Fin***


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